Curious Dwg Terrain Import Problem ?

[keithhe]

Not having had access to a good CAD file for importing terrain data to a new drawing before and having done the PDF trace over method, I read through this CA article KB-00719 since this time I did have a good DWG. >  http://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00719/importing-terrain-elevation-data-from-a-dxf-or-dwg-file.html

 

Second paragraph says, "Terrain drawings typically contain several types of data, specifically boundary data, elevation data and CAD data.  These different types of data must each be imported separately, which means that you will need to import your drawing several times. There is no single CAD standard, and which layers the different data is on is determined by the drafts person that created the drawing." 

 

I guess I'm not sure why this would need to be done as separate steps? As I often do, I simply brought the entire thing in, fixed a few otherwise broken lines, and converted each to its own layers and or properties (elevation line, etc.), but it is not working. So, I guess for reasons I don't yet understand, I will need to do this in multiple steps, as article says.

 

Most of the data is there, but the primary elevation lines simply departed the plans once I set their elevation. Gone, not layers turned off type thing.

 

Just not sure why?

 

Attached is the trial plan (primary contours were red and now gone) with just the CAD import and the DWG file, if anyone has any ideas.
 

Costa Rica.plan

ancla.zip

[Gawdzira]

I do what you do. As long as the surveyor has well named layers I can reorganize it to my own liking as needed.

[keithhe]

Alan,

 

Yeah, made sense to me too, except it is not working. No idea why primaries vanished. Can't see a thing other than the plan view. The perimeter of the plan seems to be the terrain perimeter, but I wanted that to be property lines, so changed that, but CA still thinks it is the terrain perimeter. Not sure why I can't simply call these various CAD lines what they are, assign attributes and have it do its thing.

[rlackore]

I noticed that the only time I had your problem was when I assigned the LINDERO layer as a Terrain Perimeter upon import. If I imported and only converted CURVAS-NIVEL to Elevation Data, then Chief created a generic rectangular terrain perimeter and the contours display in Ortho view. I then shaped the generic Terrain Perimeter to fit the LINDERO perimeter, and got this:

 

[keithhe]

Robert,

Great information and thank you. Yeah, I was beginning to think the perimeter was what was creating the problems. I could not change it, and CA would not allow me to create another terrain perimeter. I'll try again, and see what I can do. Just not sure I understand this though, as all I really wanted was the lines, and let me assign the attributes as to what they are.

I think then that I can do as you say, then separately trace the perimeter lines and block, copy paste to where I need it.

[HamlinBC]

I guess I'm not really sure what the problem is.

 

I only imported LINDERO and CURVAS-NIVEL.  I converted LINDERO to be terrain perimeter, and CURVAS-NIVEL to elevation data....and done.

 

Make sure and change the terrain perimeter to the Terrain, Perimeter layer, otherwise it will not show up on 3D views.

 

See attached...

Site Plan.plan

[keithhe]

Jonathan,

That is exactly what I did on my first try, and nothing worked. Moved to proper layers, etc.. Can't figure out what you did differently?

[HamlinBC]

Sorry...that one I attached was Imperial and not metric, but I did the same thing with a Metric plan and it seemed to work fine.

[keithhe]

Sorry...that one I attached was Imperial and not metric, but I did the same thing with a Metric plan and it seemed to work fine.

No problem Jonathan. I was able to bring in the elevation lines as one batch then the perimeter separately, but will go back and try to do this again in one step. I think I did as you say, and it failed.

I was thinking that I did not want the property perimeter as the terrain perimeter, but I'm beginning to think that what's outside this very busy known terrain elevation area would give my computer a coronary trying to interpolate that unknown. Not sure yet, I'll try, but guess it will get wildly out of control.